IN-PERSON: Prague – Section A

Abstract

Battlegrounds of Gallipoli and Dardanelles are significant to more than one community in defining their identity and “the other” as a source of nation-building. The contested meanings attributed to war heritage sites make their interpretation processes either a threat as a catalyst for conflict, or an opportunity as a tool to address it. The “inherently dissonant” nature of heritage, first defined by Tunbridge and Ashworth (1996), is particularly evident in the legacy of war, which is always shared by former enemies. Recent conflicts, addressed by UNESCO in its 2018 decision to adjourn the “Western Front” nomination process, may not relate to the purpose and scope of the World Heritage Convention, which has been defined as “to construct defences of peace in the minds of men” (UNESCO, 1945). Nevertheless, the use of this dissonance as a tool for conflict transformation is also acknowledged by some scholars such as Kisić (2013), who argues that dissonance exists as a latent quality of any heritage and should be perceived as a passive potential for dialogue and intercultural mediation. However, harnessing the heritage of Gallipoli for peace is the decision that has to be made primarily by the sovereign nation due to the nation-state approach of UNESCO. This paper aims to assess the capacity and limitations of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription process to provide a narrative of peace about this destination, which has been a living testimony to both the horrors of war and the following efforts of reconciliation and peace.